


Laugh Tracks

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [443]
Category: The Martian - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Nightmares, PTSD, recovering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 02:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11049255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: In the middle of the night, filled with nightmares, Mark likes to hear a laugh track.





	Laugh Tracks

Beck flicks on the TV, opening their Netflix and moving through it quickly, looking for their middle of the night show.

They watch a lot of TV. For people with such busy lives, they spend a lot of time in front of TVs, mostly because their downtime makes them look like shut-ins. They have a small gym in the basement, a fully stocked kitchen with grocery deliveries once a week, Mark’s greenhouse, a TV, and a few computers. Why would they need to go out?

But there’s always one special show that they slog their way through only on nights like these. They’re always comedies, but other than that Mark seems to choose them at random.

Chris has gotten really good at queuing up Netflix one-handed while rubbing Mark’s back with the other.

It’s been five years and the nightmares have improved a great deal, just like every other aspect of Mark’s heath. But they never completely go away, so a handful of times a month, they watch comedies at four am, Mark’s head on Chris’ stomach, Chris’ hands on Mark’s back and in his hair.

This show has a laugh track, something Chris finds slightly grating but Mark seems to inexplicably like at times like this. Maybe it’s the extra voices, the feeling that there’s a crowd participating in this endeavor, even if no one but Chris would see him like this. The sound washes over the room, as does the glow from the TV.

“I can go watch in the living room,” Mark says about ten minutes later, once he’s gotten his bearings back. “You have a presentation tomorrow. You should sleep.”

Mark has a class to teach too, but there’s no mention of him getting back to sleep. “I’m fine,” Chris says, stroking his hand along Mark’s back. “We’re fine.”

So Mark doesn’t leave, instead snuggling deeper against Chris’ stomach, breathing going soft.

They finish the episode, and then Mark reaches around blindly for the remote until Chris hands it to him, amused by the fumbling. Mark flicks the TV off, then drops the remote on the floor where it will no doubt be stepped on in the morning. He then turns himself slightly, so he’s snuggled into Chris for sleeping instead of television viewing, and closes his eyes.

“That’s it, huh?” Chris asks. Mark hums. “Gonna let me lie down?”

Mark grumbles but pulls himself up so Chris can move, and they re-arrange themselves so Mark can press as close as he wants, which is pretty damn close.

Mark looks peaceful now, calm and hopefully ready to sleep the night through. They can get a few more good hours.

Too worried that saying anything will disturb Mark, Chris keeps his mouth shut, just presses a kiss to Mark’s head and closes his own eyes.


End file.
